


Break In, Break Out

by Chajingjing



Category: VIXX
Genre: Gamer Hongbin, M/M, Minor TW for language and alcohol use, Police Officer Hakyeon, Slice of life/Generally fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-13 07:04:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18463927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chajingjing/pseuds/Chajingjing
Summary: Officer Cha Hakyeon gets called to the scene of a minor break in. The victim? A frazzled bachelor living alone named Lee Hongbin. Although the case is simple, Hakyeon seems to be stopping by a little more often than necessary...





	Break In, Break Out

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill for the Intoxicating Nbin fic fest!! I really had a lot of fun writing this and it turned out longer than I expected, so I hope you enjoy!! I had some issues uploading this in separate chapters so I apologize it's all in one long chapter for now.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and for an extra bonus, check out [Officer Cha](https://twitter.com/Zeze_moonlight/status/1158711893562974215) himself-- by the amazing @zeze_moonlight

 

**Break In**

 

Lee Hongbin loosened his tie, then stuffed his hands into his slacks as he walked out into the evening’s fading light. Behind him, his ride home slowly revved back to life and worked its way into the rush of outgoing traffic, inching slowly forward. He winced, hunching his head down into his shoulders as the bus’s wheels whined, twisting sharply at the insistence of less-than-gentle hands. Turning down a sloping path headed deeper into his neighborhood, he relaxed.

Finally-- it was Friday.

He mulled over his week, buzzing himself into a tall, grey high-rise. Sure, he’d had worse (the infamous overzealous firewall incident immediately came to mind), and he generally enjoyed the somewhat solitary nature of his job, but for reasons he couldn’t explain tonight he was just… _tired_. He wanted nothing more than to grab a snack, collapse onto his futon, and spend a few aimless hours fine-tuning his Overwatch skills before the start of this weekend’s online tournament. Mood picking up as he walked out of his building’s elevator towards his front door, he slid open his security keypad then frowned.

 

“What…?”

 

A thin dusting of white powder coated the pad’s black buttons. He leaned forward and rubbed the material between his fingers.

 

“Baby powder?”

His eyes popped wide as he noticed the smudging across the four keys that made up his security code. Panicking, he unlocked his door and hurried inside. After switching on the light his jaw dropped.

 

His apartment was a mess-- the room torn apart, furniture overturned and desk drawers emptied, contents scattered across the floor. He stepped forward and stumbled over his TV, leaning against the wall in the front of his small entryway.

 

“No, _please_ ,” his voice rose as he shoved off his shoes and made a beeline for what remained of his pride and joy--  his entertainment center-- sinking to his knees

 

 _“Not the XBOX--_ ”

 

* * *

 

Twenty minutes found Hongbin pacing to-and-fro between his living area and kitchen when, finally, he heard a knock at his front door. He tripped over his feet as he rushed to answer, coming face to face with a man dressed in a black on black police uniform, left hand resting casually over the handle of his nightstick.

“Lee... Hongbin?” he asked, looking down at the dispatch on his phone. Hongbin nodded. His eyes dropped down to the silver name tag pinned across the man’s breast, just to the right of his uniform’s tie. _Cha Hak Yeon_. When Hongbin looked back up he was sliding his phone back into his pocket, staring at him with an expectant smile.

 

“Well, can I come in?”

 

“Oh-- yeah, yeah,” Hongbin said, shaking his head and stepping aside. The patrolman walked in and surveyed the damage to his small apartment for a moment before turning back around. He took a moment to scratch his fingers through his short brown hair, then pulled a small pad of paper and a pen from his uniform’s top pocket.

“Let’s see... home invasion and theft. What all was taken? Tell me what happened.”

 

“I got home from work around eighteen-thirty and--”

 

“You were gone all day?”

 

“Yeah I--”

 

“What time did you  leave this morning?”

 

“ _Seven_ ,” Hongbin frowned, watching him scribble down his answers. “Look, Officer--”

 

“Cha. Cha Hakyeon.”

 

“Yeah, I could read that from your nametag,” he snapped back at the interruption. “Look, Officer _Cha_ \-- do you want to hear what happened or not?”

 

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Hongbin regretted them. He felt his face heat in embarrassment as the man looked up, round eyes studying him underneath raised eyebrows.

“I-- I’m sorry,” he stuttered. “I’m just-- it’s a bit…”

 

“It’s fine,” Officer Cha replied, tone softer. He lowered the notepad in his hands and looked around the room again. Hongbin scratched the back of his neck.

 

“Take your time, but start at the beginning.”

 

“I left around seven. I was gone all day. When I got back thirty minutes ago there was something on my keypad. Some… some-- _powder_ . Like baby powder, or--” Hongbin tapped his thumb against his index finger again as he spoke. “I don’t know. But they figured out my code. When I walked in the place was like this. They took my new _Xbox_ … I’d _just_ bought it...”

The officer followed Hongbin’s gaze towards his ruined entertainment center, then turned his head towards the TV by his front door.

 

“What else?”

 

“Some cash I had lying around, maybe a few hundred won,” Hongbin shrugged.

 

“How often do you change your security code?”

 

“What?”

 

“You _do_ change it regularly, right?”

 

Hongbin crossed his arms.

“I-- well… not exactly,” he mumbled. Of course he always meant to but how long had it been now since he’d moved in? A year? _Two?_ After a moment of silence he looked up again. Cha Hakyeon was staring back at him, hiding a smile, eyes sparkling with amusement.

 

“Make me a list of everything that was taken, then stop by the station tomorrow sometime for an official statement,” he said, handing Hongbin his notepad. “I’m sorry to say… this isn’t exactly out of the ordinary lately, especially in this area. Change your password regularly or it becomes too obvious which keys are used most, and use six digits instead of four. Most _likely_ it’s someone in the building, or even on this floor that knows your habits…”

Hongbin shuffled his feet as the man lectured him. He felt like a schoolboy caught out late after curfew.

 

“I can’t guarantee we’ll get your… Xbox back, but it seems at least the television turned out to be too much of a hassle.”

 

Writing down a short estimate of the hardware and cash missing, Hongbin handed the officer back his notepad. He sighed. The TV _was_ going to be a bitch to get back up onto it’s wall mounting.

 

“Want some help?”

 

Hongbin looked up again in surprise but Officer Cha was already walking forward. He knelt down and smiled back over his shoulder. It was disarming, the way his eyes creased, and his whole face seemed to change-- suddenly so _bright_ \-- at odds with his broad shoulders and crisp, official uniform. He stood in place for a moment before moving to join him on the other side of the TV.

“Oh. Sure.”

 

Together they lifted up the TV’s heavy frame, but the man across from him moved faster, more prepared, and Hongbin found himself stumbling backwards.

 

“Woah, careful--”

 

“I- I got it,” Hongbin said, cringing as he steadied himself again. After slowly making their way back towards the center of his apartment’s rear wall, it only took a few minutes to secure the large screen back into place. Hongbin rubbed his left shoulder while the officer dusted his hands off.

 

“Alright, anything else you need some help with?” he asked. Hongbin shook his head.

 

“No, I’ll uh, take it from here.”

 

“Great,” he answered with another sunny smile, digging a card from his back pocket. “Don’t forget to come in for the rest of your statement tomorrow-- you know the station four blocks down?” He jerked his thumb behind him as he spoke. Hongbin thought for a moment, then nodded.

 

“Next to the park?”

 

“Yep. I’ll be there all day, _unfortunately_...” he sighed. Hongbin took the card from his hand, a small, impersonal piece of cardstock with the station’s logo, address and phone number, and the man hesitated, watching Hongbin with a glint in his eye that hadn’t been there when he first walked across his threshold-- stern and all-business, ready to simply process a bare-bones report and leave. Hongbin frowned, but gave the officer a polite bow.

 

“Okay. I ah-- thank you,” he said. Cha Hakyeon grinned and waved his hand.

 

“No, no don’t mention it. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” he laughed, a light, pleasant sound that filled the otherwise dismally ruined room.

 

“Don’t make me hunt you down, Lee Hongbin.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Hongbin groaned, shielding his eyes from the bright Saturday sunlight seeping through his bedroom’s blinds. He leaned over, grabbed his phone from the small table next to his bed, and checked the time. _10:36._ It was late-- well later than his usual weekend schedule-- but he felt almost as if he hadn’t slept at all. The thought that someone had been in his apartment, that someone had been in his home, kept him tossing and turning until long after midnight. It was unnerving.

He swung his feet around and stepped out of bed, shoving his feet into a pair of blue house slippers. As he walked over to his apartment’s kitchenette and grabbed a bottle of water from his fridge he sighed, turning around to look at the empty shelf underneath his TV.

It mocked him, reminding him he had a whole Saturday, an entire empty weekend ahead of him. Suddenly, he began to regret that he hadn’t spent more time getting to know friends with similar interests after moving to the city. Most of his Seoul acquaintances were work colleagues, and there was no way Injung or even Jaekwang had a console he could borrow. It seemed he’d have to sit this tournament out--  the hours of practice he’d crammed in all month simply going to waste.

 

Hongbin downed the rest of his water, tossed the empty bottle into the trash and then stood aimlessly in the middle of his apartment. He tapped his fingers against his thigh, looking around the room, until his eyes wandered to the business card sitting on his small sofa’s wooden armrest. Walking forward, he picked up the small white rectangle and turned it around in his hands, reading the name sloppily handwritten on the back.

 

 _Cha Hak Yeon_.

 

He thought for a moment, then shrugged and walked over towards his closet. Throwing on a pair of jeans and a cream colored hoodie, he pocketed the card and slipped on his sneakers. As he left he turned around to double check his door was securely locked shut before heading down the hall.

 

* * *

 

Outside the weather was chilly, but a midday sun shone brightly overhead. Hongbin felt his mood lift as he walked down the hill outside his building. He had to admit-- it was a nice day. One that would have been ignored, taken for granted if he hadn’t been forced from his couch. Still, he frowned as he rounded one last corner and jogged up Local Precinct #322’s front steps. After taking a moment to smooth his fingers through his unbrushed hair, stepped through the building’s glass doors.

He rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the dim light.

 

The station’s lobby was small. Faded notices lined the walls around him, while a tall reception desk stood to his right, manned by a woman in her late forties. Hongbin walked forward, sneakers squeaking against freshly polished flooring.

“Excuse me,” he said, clearing his throat. The woman looked up and raised her eyebrows. Hongbin pulled the officer’s card from his back pocket. “I’m here for Cha Hakyeon, he--”

 

She clicked her tongue and grabbed the card from Hongbin’s hand. After flipping it over and handing it back to him she picked up the phone receiver next to her (in Hongbin’s opinion) painfully outdated laptop.

 

“Name?”

 

“Lee Hongbin.”

 

“CHA--!! SOMEONE’S HERE TO SEE YOU--”

 

As she slammed the receiver back down into place, Hongbin took a step back. What was the point of asking his name if--

 

His thoughts were interrupted by the tapping of footsteps down the hall to his right, then Cha Hakyeon’s familiar face as he rounded the precinct’s security gate.

“Lee Hongbin!” he said, smiling. Hongbin couldn’t decide whether to be put off by the man’s excitement, or flattered that he remembered his name. Seriously, who was this cheerful at work-- on a _weekend_?

 

“Officer Cha.”

 

“Please-- it’s _Hakyeon,_ ” he corrected, then leaned against the receptionist’s desk. He turned his head over to the woman on the other side. “Thank you Ms. Kim, _lovely_ this morning as always. This won’t take long, and then I’m heading out for an early lunch-- if that reporter Han comes in looking for me tell him I’m… down in the evidence warehouse and I’ll call him later?”

‘Ms. Kim’ grumbled, words inaudible to Hongbin’s ears, but the edges of her lips turned upwards as she nodded. Hakyeon laughed, satisfied, and turned back towards Hongbin.

 

“Alright, let’s head back and get this over with.”

 

Hongbin couldn’t help but glance back at the woman, scowling once more as she resumed her work, then back at Hakyeon. The officer grinned and he reached out, gently steering Hongbin around towards the station’s security gate. As they walked further into the station, Hongbin felt the man’s eyes drift along his frame until they settled on his unstyled hair.

“Rough night?”

 

Hongbin looked down and scratched the back of his neck.

 

“Took a while to clean everything up.”

 

Hakyeon studied him for a moment, then nodded. Once the hallway opened up into a large, crowded room, he guided Hongbin around clusters of messy, unorganized desks until they stopped in front of one just _slightly_ cleaner than the rest. After grabbing an unoccupied chair and pulling it up next to his own, he sat down.

“I’ve already sent in a request for an additional patrol around your block. I can’t guarantee they’ll approve it, but it was worth a try…”

 

Watching Hakyeon filter through a stack of folders next to his keyboard, Hongbin lowered himself into the borrowed chair and snuck his hands into his hoodie’s front pocket.

“Oh-- you didn’t have to, I mean if it was someone in the building anyway--”

 

“We’ve been having other issues in the area lately too,” Hakyeon shrugged. He pulled one of the thinner case files from the middle of his stack and pushed the rest away, sliding closer to Hongbin. “Don’t flatter yourself into thinking you’re the _only_ one this has happened to.”

 

“Is that supposed to make me feel safer?”

 

“...Oh, I just…”

 

The officer’s smile faltered and Hongbin looked down. He felt bad-- the man was only trying to help him, so why did his words, his optimism keep getting under his skin? He opened his mouth to respond, but Hakyeon was already opening the folder in front of them, pen in hand, tapping at the unfinished police report inside.

 

“I just need you to re-list everything that was stolen here, with an estimated total value. Then fill in the rest of your personal information up top and sign here at the bottom, okay?”

 

Hongbin took the pen from Hakyeon’s hands.

 

“You’ve never noticed any suspicious personnel hanging around the building or your hallway?” Hakyeon asked.

 

“Not really,” he shook his head.

 

“Who else has your security code?

 

“What? No one. I mean-- I mostly keep to myself.”

 

“Really? A handsome guy like you?”

 

Hongbin looked up. Hakyeon was watching him, crossing his legs as he leaned back in his chair. He shrugged before looking down and continuing to list his address, ID, and phone number.

“Yeah-- something _wrong_ with that?” he muttered, raising his shoulders. It was a simple question, but Hongbin found himself suddenly defensive. Next to him, Hakyeon sat silent until he finished, scribbling his signature at the bottom of the document. When he closed the file and handed it back to him, Hakyeon dipped his head politely and placed it back on top of his other cases.

 

“Alright, Mr. Lee, that’s all we need for now. Thanks so much for stopping by.”

 

“Oh,” Hongbin paused, taken aback by the change in formality. Hakyeon stood and gave him a smile, but it was missing the enthusiasm the officer had greeted him with.

 

“I’ll walk you out,” he said. Hongbin rose and followed behind Hakyeon as he guided them both back towards the station’s lobby. Once they reached the front doors he stopped and turned around.

 

“We’ll contact you with any updates,” he said. “And of course you can give us a call if you have any questions.”

 

Hongbin rubbed the back of his neck again.

 

“Right. Thanks.”

 

Hakyeon nodded and held the lobby’s glass door open for him. As Hongbin gave the man a bow and left, walking down the building’s front steps, he frowned. Then, pushing his hands back into his pockets again, turned towards home.

 

 

 

**Serendipity**

 

The rest of Hongbin’s weekend passed slowly-- excruciatingly so. He spent hours lying back on his couch, swiping through different listings, but it seemed he’d have to wait until his next paycheck to be able to afford a replacement gaming system. Even then, money would be tight. For weeks. Walking from his bus stop back towards his apartment on Tuesday evening, he kicked his heels against the pavement. Head low.

Another night alone watching a mediocre weekday drama, scrolling through his phone, checking his teammate’s tournament progress with envy. Then, the fight to quiet his mind. To fall asleep.

 

Turning a corner, Hongbin slowed his steps even further.

He didn’t know if it was due to the break-in, or the sudden amount of free time on his hands, but the worst thing about this entire situation were the constant _thoughts_. All evening, without his usual hours of gaming before bed to distract him, he found himself just…

 

 _Thinking_.

 

Thinking about his past, thinking about his increasingly tentative future at Woo-ri Industrial, about the fact someone had been _in his home_ , about the officer who’d responded to his 110 call.

It still bothered him, the way he’d snapped at the man back at the station, the way his friendly disposition cooled into polite professionalism. He should have said something. He should have stopped back again on Sunday to apologize. Now, however, enough time had passed that the idea of admitting that Officer Cha Hakyeon was still on his mind was… unappealing. Besides, surely coming in to fill out a police report for a stolen Xbox One was merely a formality. Paperwork to be tossed aside, quickly processed as inconsequential, petty theft. He and his case had likely been long forgotten, so why was he still dwelling on it?

Hongbin sighed, stepping into his apartment building’s lobby, then stopped.

 

“Officer Cha?”

 

Cha Hakyeon was standing in front of the elevator, waiting. At Hongbin’s voice he turned around and smiled.

 

“Mr. Lee Hongbin,” he said in a bright voice. Hongbin adjusted his work bag over his shoulder and walked forward.

“I was just stopping by to check on the CCTV here in your building,” Hakyeon continued. The elevator’s doors opened with a soft _ding_ in front of them, and the officer held his arm out across the threshold, letting Hongbin enter first before following behind him. Hongbin reached over and pressed a faded button labeled _15_ , then turned his head.

 

“What floor? Our building manager is on two, but I doubt he’ll be too receptive to--”

 

Hakyeon shook his head.

“No, I want to check out your floor again first before I go talk to him.”

 

“Oh--”

 

They stood in silence as the elevator started moving. Hongbin shuffled his feet, hands back in his pockets, until he just couldn’t _take it_ anymore.

 

“I-- I’m sorry about Saturday,” he said, the words tumbling out, uncharacteristically loud in such a small space. Hakyeon looked up. “It’s just been stressful. I haven’t been sleeping well. I didn’t mean to snap at you, and I ah… I appreciate your help. I wouldn’t expect you to take so much time on a small case like this, and I’m pretty sure at least half of the cameras in this building are broken so--”

The officer waved his hand, stopping Hongbin, and then crossed his arms across his chest.

 

“Don’t worry about it-- it’s my job to follow up on these things,” he said, smiling again, filling the elevator with the same relentlessly cheerful energy that prickled against Hongbin’s shoulders. “Besides, if you’re not sleeping well, I wouldn’t call it a ‘small case,’ right?”

Hongbin frowned and wrinkled his nose, staring back at the man next to him. Mercifully, moments later the elevator ground to a halt and its silver doors slid open. Hakyeon held the door open again as they both walked out into the hallway.

 

“There’s a camera up ahead in the corner,” Hongbin said, pointing forward once he stopped outside his front door. “But like I said-- I’d be surprised if it’s working.”

 

Hakyeon followed his line of sight and nodded, then turned back around while Hongbin pressed his new, six digit security code into his apartment’s keypad.

 

“I’ll check it out,” he grinned. “In the meantime, have a good night. Get some rest.”

 

“Oh, okay--” Hongbin started to answer, opening his door, but when he looked up again the man was already continuing down the hallway, his uniform’s utility belt shifting on his hips as he walked away. Hongbin watched him, then stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

_ <<Oh Gunwoo: Still waiting to get paid? Bummer dude.>> _

 

Hongbin sunk further into his couch, twisting around so he was lying back, head propped up upon the couch’s armrest.

 

 _ <<Yeah I heard you guys placed fourth in your bracket though. Gratz.>> _ he replied, fingers tapping against the phone’s screen.

 

_ <<Oh Gunwoo: Thanks man TankSinatra and APHEX2 were no joke this year.. Anyway I’ll keep you updated on the final matches this weekend.>> _

 

Hongbin scowled. ‘Aphex,’ admittedly, would have been a challenge, but so-called ‘ _TankSinatra’_ was a pushover. Predictable. If he had been there, they could have easily beaten his team and placed top three.

 

_ <<Oh Gunwoo: It’s Friday night Bin go out and game some chicks instead for once LOL.>> _

 

Reading the last message, he rolled his eyes and dropped his phone onto the couch next to him. Multiple aspects of the suggestion were equally unappealing, but still-- what _was_ he going to do this weekend? He thought for a moment, running his fingers through his hair, then grabbed his phone again and stood up. Tucking his blue-striped work button up back into his slacks, Hongbin discarded his tie and rolled up his sleeves for a more casual look. After a quick glance in his bathroom mirror he double checked his wallet. Sure he could save the money, be one step closer to returning to his normal routine, but the thought of sitting inside for even one more night, bored and alone...

 

_Fuck it._

 

Face set in stoney determination, he left, tapping his fingers as the elevator lowered him down to his building’s lobby and stepping out into the cool, clear night. He jogged down his complex’s front steps then turned westward, letting his feet guide his way. After about a ten minute walk, as he found himself approaching a small cluster of food stalls and bright orange _pojangmacha_ tents, he slowed. He passed through this area regularly on his way home from work, but never given it much thought-- rushing home to hop online or prepare a cheap instant dinner. Truthfully, in the daylight there was no _reason_ to linger, but now that night had fallen the street was bustling with activity.

Following the smell of grilled meat he shrugged and ducked into the largest tent to his right. Immediately upon entering, Hongbin found his resolve slipping away again, his anxiety returning.

 

The tent bar was crowded, loud. Large groups, mixed with both men and women, surrounded the plastic tables, laughing, joking, smiling-- it was as if everyone knew everyone, and there he was, standing alone in the doorway. Shaking his head, he turned to leave, when he heard his name.

 

“Lee Hongbin?”

 

He looked up. Rising from one of the cheap round tables was quite possibly, the _last_ man he was prepared to see on his first attempt at a ‘night out’ in years. He frowned and started to step backwards, but Officer Cha Hakyeon was already walking forward, trademark smile spreading across his face. Hongbin found himself frozen in place.

“What a surprise, I’ve never seen you here before,” the man said. He was still dressed in his black uniform, although he’d loosened his tie in favor of unbuttoning the top two buttons of his tailored shirt.

 

“O-Officer Cha,” he stammered. “Yeah, I was just--”

 

“‘ _Hakyeon,_ ’” the officer complained. Hongbin noticed the faintest trace of an alcohol induced flush across his cheeks. “It’s just ‘Hakyeon.’ I’m not on duty so don’t make me repeat myself _again_.”

 

“Oh, but I--”

 

Hongbin started to step away again but Hakyeon looped an arm around his shoulder and steered him around towards his table, full of a few other off-duty officers as well as a small party of women in their late twenties. He shooed one of his younger colleagues and his partner aside, both already stumbling as they moved, then pushed Hongbin down onto the uncomfortable green bench and joined him.

“Here, on me,” Hakyeon filled one of the few empty glasses left on the table, handing it to Hongbin. Hongbin looked around the table, self conscious in the presence of so many strangers, but apart from a nod or two in polite greeting the group was already absorbed back into their small, segregated conversations. When he glanced back at Hakyeon, the man had refilled his own glass and held it up, eyes large and hopeful.

 

Hongbin blushed at his enthusiasm, then nodded and tapped his glass against his.

 

“Thank you,” he murmured, then followed Hakyeon’s lead, draining his glass and setting it back down in front of him. He winced as he swallowed, unused to the sting tickling his throat and nose.

 

“Aah ha-- next bottle is on _you_ though,” Hakyeon laughed, reaching forward to grab a pair of chopsticks and pull a chunk of beef from the table’s center grill. Hongbin watched him, then smiled, nodding again, the soju’s warmth spreading pleasantly across his chest.

 

* * *

 

Hongbin did indeed buy the group’s next bottle of soju, and Hakyeon the bottle after that. Before he knew it, their table had emptied-- Hakyeon’s fellow officers either pairing off with the women who’d joined them, or stumbling home alone to their waiting family. He briefly checked the time on his phone, ignoring a build up of missed messages, then watched as Hakyeon poured them both a fresh shot from their final order.

“Guess it’s just up to us two to finish it this,” the officer sighed, eying the green bottle. It was still half full, and Hongbin nodded, happy to agree. Undoubtedly the soju had helped, but after he’d managed to relax the evening flew by. Hakyeon’s colleagues were just as forward and friendly as he was, but the tent’s casual atmosphere kept their attention from becoming too overbearing.

 

“So what is it you do, Lee Hongbin?” Hakyeon asked, finishing his drink. Hongbin coughed as he fought to keep up, the night starting to catch up with him.

 

“IT work. Computer and server maintenance. For, uh, Woo-ri Industrial.”

 

“Isn’t that over in…”

 

“Yeah, Songpa,” Hongbin answered, struggling to fill his glass again without spilling. “The communte’s annoying but rent is cheaper here. Maybe _too_ cheap…” he mumbled under his breath. Next to him Hakyeon nodded. He refilled his glass as well and loosened his tie further. Through increasingly heavy eyes, Hongbin watched the black fabric slide between his fingers.

“How long have you, uh, been a cop?” he asked, letting his eyes wander down the man’s uniform. Hakyeon crossed his legs and smiled.

 

“Four years now? Almost five.”

 

“You like it?”

 

“It’s rough sometimes, but I’d never survive a desk job,” he grinned, looking back at Hongbin. “I need something that keeps me on my toes. Besides-- I get to meet interesting people _like you_.”

 

Hongbin stared as the man leaned in, sliding the green soju bottle back into his hands. His mind was muddled, fighting to make sense of Hakyeon’s low voice, his shining eyes. Despite the heat creeping across his cheeks, he felt frozen in place, unable to move his hand away as Hakyeon’s fingers brushed against his.

 

Until then, they both moved away at once, and suddenly the bottle was on its side, the remaining soju spilling across the table and down onto Hakyeon’s pressed black trousers. Hongbin paled, grabbing a napkin in his panic. He started to reach down to press it against Hakyeon’s lap when his brain finally registered just _where_ exactly the soju has spilled. Face on fire, he pulled back.

“I-- I’m sorry,” he stuttered. Hakyeon shook his head and took the napkins from his hand.

 

“For what? It’s fine,” he said, but Hongbin watched his own face darken as well. “It happens. No harm done.”

 

Anxiety returning, unsure of what else to do, Hongbin merely nodded and finished his last drink one take, then stood up. Immediately he regretted it. The room began to spin, equilibrium lost during such a sudden movement in his altered state. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, too cold and too hot all at once, bracing his hands against the green table.

“I think-- I ah, I should head home--” he murmured, stomach flipping violently. This night, coming out, letting his guard down-- it was all a mistake. He wished he’d stayed at home after all, isolated and alone, but _comfortable_. He willed himself to open his eyes again, to move, but his legs stayed locked in place. Then, Hakyeon’s arm was around his waist, his other hand guiding his own arm around the officer’s shoulders.

 

“Come on, it’s okay. Let’s go.”

 

Hongbin steadied himself against Hakyeon, then slowly blinked his eyes open and nodded. Gently, Hakyeon steered him around their table and towards the tent’s exit. Once outside, the cool evening air brushed across the sweat across Hongbin’s brow, and he shivered.

 

“You really don’t do this often, do you?”

 

Hongbin shook his head.

 

“I’m sorry, I should have realized--” Hakyeon started quietly, but Hongbin interrupted, voice slurred.

 

“I don’t even _know_ anyone here. And the people I do know-- they don’t really know me. I mean they know me but they don’t _know me--_ ”

He stopped, and hung his head, confused by his own fragmented thoughts. What was he talking about again? When he looked back up Hakyeon was simply nodding along as he spoke, guiding them both down the alleyway, away from the bright lights and bustling orange tents behind them. He turned his head at the sudden silence and Hongbin was struck by the patience in his eyes, the way his hand held his own against his shoulder.

 

“Someone, someone broke into my apartment,” he blurted out. “They left my _TV_ but they took the Xbox-- Someone was _there_.”

 

“I know, I know. I’ll find it for you, okay? I already talked to your building manager about the CCTV,” he said softly. Hongbin looked down.

 

“He won’t fix them,” he murmured.

 

“He _will_ ,” Hakyeon countered, voice strong, sure against his ear, and Hongbin relaxed as they finally made their way up the hill outside his apartment complex. In that moment, he changed his mind; he was glad he’d gone out. He was glad he’d run into Officer Cha Hakyeon-- again. Then, from the back of his mind--

“What-- what happens afterwards?” he said, the words flowing from a worry he’d never considered before straight out of his mouth, without filter. He barely knew the man, but suddenly the prospect of not seeing Hakyeon outside his building, smiling proud in his uniform, saddened him. Hakyeon was silent as they walked up the high-rise’s steps and opened the door.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked finally as they waited for the elevator. Hongbin tried to gather his thoughts. As the elevator’s doors slid open he started to shake himself off of Hakyeon and stand on his own two feet, but tripped over the threshold falling forward, dragging Hakyeon down with him.

 

“Hey-- _careful--_ ” Hakyeon shouted, and Hongbin felt his arms back around him, fighting to steady them both, until all at once he was pinned against the elevator’s left wall, Hakyeon’s face inches from his own. Hongbin’s mind shot back to Hakyeon’s fingers brushing against his over their last bottle of soju. His eyes drifted down to Hakyeon’s lips and for a moment neither of them moved. Then, just as his mind blanked and he started to lean forward, the elevator’s doors were sliding shut again and Hakyeon was moving away, turning around to key in the 15th floor.

 

“Almost there,” Hakyeon said quietly as they started moving upwards. “Make sure to drink some water before you sleep. And next time you go out, don’t try to keep up if you can’t handle it.”

 

Standing from the wall, he looked down and carefully separated himself from Hakyeon. When the elevator’s doors opened again he stepped out, but Hakyeon stayed behind.

 

“I have to catch my bus,” he said, expression unreadable. “I’ll see you around, okay?”

 

Hongbin nodded, the turned around and slowly walked the distance back to his own front door.

 

 

 

**Break Out**

 

The next morning, Hongbin’s head was throbbing. He lay still for a moment, arm over his face, then winced as he sat up. Looking down, he frowned at the realization he was still fully dressed-- on his _couch?_ Piece by piece, the previous night’s memories came slowly back to him; impulsively going out, meeting Officer Cha-- no _Hakyeon_ now-- and his group of friends, finishing one last bottle alone together before…

Something else was there, nagging at the edge of his mind, but the buzz of his cell phone in his pocket distracted him. He rubbed his eyes and pulled it out, unlocking the screen with a swipe of his thumb. Seven new messages-- five from his Overwatch team last night, and two from an unknown number this morning.

 

_ <<Oh Gunwoo: Hey my cousin finally got back to me. He said he’s selling his console for 100k if you want it, but you have to take the train out to Incheon tomorrow morning before he goes to work.>> _

 

_ <<Oh Gunwoo: Come on it’s a good deal we need you back on our roster Hajoon’s been playing like shit all week.>> _

 

_ <<Kim Hajoon: Shut up bitch you’re one to talk..>> _

 

_ <<Oh Gunwoo: LEE HONGBIN WHERE tf are you man did you actually go out? LOL you better have a good story tomorrow after ignoring us all night hit me up already. I already practically promised Jiho you’d buy this he’s gonna be pissed.>> _

 

_ <<Song Doyun: Dude can you just answer Gunwoo please he’s driving us all fucking crazy.>> _

 

_ <<Unknown Number: Hey it’s Cha Hakyeon. Hope you don’t mind I got your number from your file.>> _

 

_ <<Unknown Number: You get back the rest of the way to your place okay?>> _

 

Hongbin blushed, struggling to remember the rest of the evening. Hakyeon smiling, leaning in, then embarrassment and suddenly they were leaving. Still, he remembered the sound of Hakyeon’s voice against his ear outside of his building, then his face close, _too close_ to his underneath the dim light of the elevator. His heart skipped a beat and he pushed the fragmented, unfocused image from his mind.

 

_ <<Yeah, sorry..>> _

 

He paused as his fingers slowed, unsure of what exactly he was apologizing for, but sent the message anyway. Then he turned his attention to the ongoing trainwreck in his group chat, wrinkling his nose as he reread the messages. They’d already _promised_ he’d buy the system? It was cheap, but suddenly Hakyeon’s voice rang in his ears again, his own promise.

 

_‘I’ll find it for you, okay?’_

 

Hongbin frowned. He rubbed the back of his neck before replying.

 

_ <<Chill out I just woke up.>> _

 

It took only moments for three small dots to appear at the edge of his screen.

 

_ <<Oh Gunwoo: Fucking FINALLY dude. So? Get your ass over here and pick up this system so we can beat APHEX later.>> _

 

_ <<I don’t know.. my case is still open so I was waiting until payday…>> _

 

_ <<Song Doyun: Tourney will be over by then come on man you really think the cops are spending more than five minutes on a missing Xbox???>> _

 

Hongbin bristled at the statement. He started tapping his thumbs rapidly across his phone’s screen, but Gunwoo replied first.

 

_ <<Oh Gunwoo: Just get on the train over here already I had him drop it off at my place. You can just pay me back.>> _

 

Groaning, Hongbin rolled his eyes. Of _course_ he did.

 

_ <<Fine. Give me a few hours.>> _

 

Hongbin threw his phone back onto the couch, forced himself onto his feet and headed back towards his bathroom. He rummaged around his medicine cabinet until he found a bottle of asprin that had only _recently_ expired, washed a pair down his throat, then started up a shower. Looking in the mirror as it slowly fogged over, he sighed.

A cheap console at a price he could afford? Just in time to help his team mop up any last minute competition? He would have been jumping at the chance, already halfway out his front door last Saturday. So now, today--

 

Why wasn’t he more excited?

 

He shook his head and turned around, peeling his clothes off and stepping into his shower. Rubbing his shoulders he relaxed, and let the warm water wash his hangover away.

 

* * *

 

An hour later, freshly cleaned up and dressed, Hongbin ate a quick lunch while flipping through half of a B-list movie before getting ready to head out. Just after he’d headed out the door, his phone buzzed as he stepped into the elevator.

 

_ <<Unknown Number: No need to apologize, but can we meet up later?>> _

 

Hongbin frowned before realizing he hadn’t saved Hakyeon’s number from earlier. He flushed, added the man to his contacts, then stared at the message as the elevator descended. He started to type a response, but Hakyeon answered his question before he could ask.

 

_ <<Cha Hakyeon: It’s about your case.>> _

 

Hongbin felt his apprehension ease. Then his eyebrows shot up.

 

_ <<Did you find something?>> _

 

_ <<Cha Hakyeon: Not exactly. Can we just meet up later?>> _

 

Hongbin hesitated, interest piqued, before his fingers resumed again.

 

_ <<Sure, what time?>> _

 

_ <<Cha Hakyeon: My shift ends at 18:00. Meet me then outside the station?>> _

 

He mentally calculated the time needed to get to Gunwoo’s place, then the hour long train ride back into Seoul proper. Plenty of time.

 

 _ <<Sounds good….>> _ he typed out. _ <<Thanks again for last night.>> _

 

Hongbin watched as the three dots at the bottom of his screen flickered to life, then stopped. After a few seconds they started back up again before a simple emoji popped up on his screen, and Hongbin pocketed his phone again, walking out of the elevator and heading through his building’s front door with a smile on his face.

 

Two hours later he was standing in Gunwoo’s apartment, smile gone.

 

“What do you mean it’s 125k _instead_?”

 

“He said he wanted more," Gunwoo shrugged. "I didn’t think it was a big deal. You’re the one with a proper job, you make more than--”

 

“I got _robbed_ , Gunwoo. I didn’t just lose the Xbox. Someone went into my apartment, _trashed_ the entire place, and stole anything of value they could carry. That means my _spare_ _cash too_ ,” Hongbin’s voice rose as he spoke. He couldn’t help himself. _Not a big deal--?_

 

“Sorry bro,” Doyun cut in. “We just want to place at least top three this weekend, and Hajoon’s not cutting it.”

 

Hongbin stared at the two men in front of him, dressed in sweatpants and the same faded t-shirts he’d seen them in countless times during their classes together at Inha Tech before they’d both dropped out, leaving him to finish alone. They stared back at him, utterly confused by his frustration. Doyun cocked his head and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

What was he _doing_ here?

 

“Here,” he pulled out his wallet. “Just take it, I have to go.”

 

Gunwoo took the cash from his hands, counted it, then folded it.

 

“You’re leaving? You don’t want to stay and get some practice rounds in before tomorrow?”

 

“I’m already late,” Hongbin said, checking his phone. _16:32. 9% battery life_. “I’ll practice by myself tonight.”

 

“Late?” Gunwo snorted. “Late for what? Wait-- are you going _out again_?”

 

Hongbin stuffed the gaming system into his messenger bag. It didn’t quite fit, the top two corners sticking out conspicuously, but he slung the bag over his shoulder regardless and turned to leave.

 

“I don’t know, _maybe_ \--” he snapped back. “I’ll talk to you later.”

 

“Whatever, man.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Hongbin opened Gunwoo’s front door and slammed it shut as he left. He hurried out down the building’s exterior staircase and set a brisk pace as he made his way back towards Ganseok station. Jogging inside, he paid for his return ticket and walked up a flight of stairs towards his platform-- into an unusually large crowd of people waiting. He pulled his phone from his pocket again. _16:43._ Where was the train?

“What’s going on?” he asked a kid in his teens standing next to him.

 

“Unscheduled maintenance,” he answered in a monotone voice, not bothering to look up from his iPhone. “Something wrong with the tracks.”

 

Hongbin looked down and swiped his finger across his own phone. _7%_ . As quickly as he could he tapped out a short message to Hakyeon, _ <<Might be late>> _, and fumbled to hit the small arrow on the bottom of his screen.

 

“Come on, _come on…_ ” he mumbled, watching his phone’s battery dwindle further as the message was pending. Then, with long vibration, it went black. Hongbin pulled at his hair. Why today, why _now_?

 

With a heavy sigh he repocketed the phone and leaned against one of the station’s large, white pillars-- nothing left to do but wait.

 

* * *

 

Later, much later than Hongbin would have liked, the crowd around him murmured to life as the telltale _humm_ of an approaching train finally echoed across the station. He stood anxiously in the queue, waiting, until finally he managed to squeeze on board just as the doors shut behind him. As he stood against a silver support pole for the duration of his ride back, he hoped his message had properly sent before his phone shut off. He hoped that either way, Hakyeon would wait for him.

When subway finally ground to a halt at the stop closest to Hakyeon’s precinct, Hongbin all but ran up out of the station. The sun was low in the sky, shadows growing longer. After five last blocks, he slowed, then used his free hand to comb his fingers through his hair. He walked up the driveway towards the station’s front steps and felt his heart sink as he looked around.

 

The precinct’s entryway was empty.

 

“Is, uh-- Is Officer Cha Hakyeon still here?” he asked, walking inside and stepping up to the front desk. On the other side, sour as ever, the receptionist looked him up and down with a disapproving eye.

 

“He waited for a long time, almost forty-five minutes,” she said, shaking her head. Hongbin looked up at the clock above her head and sighed. _Ten minutes too late._

 

“Thanks,” he murmured, and turned to leave. The woman called out after him as he headed back out the door.

 

“You could have called him, you know--”

 

Her words stung, needling at the back of his neck as he walked from the station back through his neighborhood. He regretted this whole trip-- that he’d given in to Gunwoo, that he’d gone to pick up the console in the first place-- but most importantly he regretted that he’d kept Hakyeon waiting so long. Still clutched under his right arm, his new Xbox felt suddenly heavy. By the time he’d made it back up the last hill and into his apartment complex’s front lobby, he briefly debated just tossing it away altogether.

Inside, he rolled his right shoulder and pressed his elevator’s call button. Next to him, a man in a grey and red jumpsuit was standing on a silver ladder was drilling a small black box into the ceiling.

 

“Is that--?” he started to ask, craning his neck to better see the object in the man’s hands.

 

“New security cameras, up to code this time, they’re going up on all thirty-five floors,” the man shouted back over the sound of his hand drill. “Sorry for the inconvenience-- we’ll be here for a few days until we’re done.”

Head low, Hongbin stepped back out of the elevator and slowly walked down the hallway. Hakyeon had done it, he’d _really_ kept his promise after all, and all he’d done to repay him was cast him aside in favor of returning to old, familiar habits. He drug his feet along the patterned tile floor, watching his flat sneakers, until--

 

“Hongbin.”

 

Hongbin stopped and looked up.

 

“H-Hakyeon?”

 

The man was standing outside his door, a few sheets of folded paper in his hands, topped with a purple sticky note. His eyes moved from Hongbin’s damp, messy hair, down to the Xbox clutched against his chest.

 

“Hakyeon, I’m so sorry I--”

 

With a wave of his hand Hakyeon stopped him. He tore off the purple sticky note on top of the paper in his right hand and crumpled it into his fist.

“Don’t worry about it, Hongbin,” he said. His face was strange, voice quiet. “I… I was just here to let you know we’d actually closed your case last week and drop off your paperwork. I wanted to do more, I tried to do more, but it seems that--”

 

He trailed off, looking at the console peeking out of Hongbin’s brown canvas bag. Then he looked up, eyes apologetic, face red.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on.”

 

Hongbin held his gaze for a moment then looked down at the bundle in his arms. He grabbed the documents in Hakyeon’s hands and shoved past him, leaning down to unlock his front door. Hakyeon took a step backwards, but Hongbin stopped him.

 

“Come in.”

 

Hakyeon hesitated, and Hongbin looked down, embarrassed, but continued. “Please, just for a moment-- come in.”

Finally the man nodded, and Hongbin held the door open for both of them. Once inside, he haphazardly dropped the Xbox next to his couch. He pulled his dead phone from his pocket and ran over to his bed, plugging it into the charger set up on his nightstand. Then, after a quick trip to the bathroom and run of a comb through his hair he walked back out towards his entry way. Hakyeon was still by his front door, standing silent in his uniform, shifting from foot to foot.

 

“Let’s go out.”

 

Hakyeon’s eyebrows rose and Hongbin blushed, taken aback by the conviction in his own voice. Pointing his index finger inwards towards his chest, the officer tilted his head.

 

“You want to-- Right now?”

 

“I don’t care about the case, or the Xbox. I-- I want to go out with you again. Let’s go out,” Hongbin said again. His eyes were wide and full of apprehension, but he was caught up in the strength of this moment-- the strength of knowing, for the first time since Hakyeon’s dazzling smile lit up his trashed, ruined apartment, what it was he wanted.

 

He wanted to see that smile, complete with Hakyeon’s crescent eyes and soft cheeks, every day. He wanted to see that smile across from him over a shared drink. He wanted to see that smile next to him on the couch. He wanted to welcome it home after a long day, and--

 

“Are you sure?” Hakyeon said, interrupting his thoughts as he moved closer. The bewildered look had left his face, replaced with a smooth grin that had Hongbin’s heart pounding against his chest. “You don’t need me anymore, you already bought a new--”

 

“I’m sure,” Hongbin stood his ground until Hakyeon’s nose was only inches from his own, looking back at him with large, brown eyes. He reached up to touch his thumb to Hongbin’s chin, then stepped back and laughed. Hongbin stuttered in surprise, but Hakyeon was already backing up towards the door. After pulling it open he leaned against the handle and looked back over his shoulder.

 

“Alright then, Lee Hongbin, what are you waiting for? Let’s go--”

 

Hongbin stood still for a moment, then smiled. Xbox and phone forgotten behind him, he followed Hakyeon out through his front door, letting it click firmly shut behind him. They were both quiet until once outside, walking down the sidewalk, Hongbin caught Hakyeon’s gaze out of the corner of his eye.

“So… my case has been closed since last week, huh,” he said, a shy smile spreading across his face. Hakyeon pursed his lips, looking up at the setting sun and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

 

“What can I say,” he sighed. “I’ve got a bleeding heart. Besides, you just seemed so lost. No-- _stuck_.”

 

Looking down at his feet, Hongbin considered his words. As reluctant as it was for him to admit it, the man was right-- he _had_ been stuck. Stuck in a leftover, closed off routine he should have broken out of ages ago. Now, walking next to Hakyeon in the cool evening air, he couldn’t believe he’d initially found the man’s optimism, his friendly nudges forward so abrasive. He couldn’t believe he’d spent so much time alone in his room when this, all of _this_ was waiting for him. He still wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about the man next to him, but for the first time in years this uncertainty excited him. He wanted to find out.

 

“Where to?” Hakyeon asked, stopping at the intersection at the end of their path. Hongbin thought for a moment, then looked back up and smiled.

 

“Take me someplace new.”

 

 

 

**100 Days Later**

 

Hongbin walked step in step with Hakyeon as they gave a last wave goodbye to the dwindling group behind them and ducked outside. The weather was warm, a pleasant breeze lifting Hongbin’s hair away from his forehead. Walking away from the bright orange tent, Hongbin leaned against the man in uniform next to him. A vague memory, one he’d never truly pieced fully together popped into his mind and he smiled.

“What--” Hakyeon leaned in, breath tickling his ear, faint scent of soju and beer drifting past Hongbin’s nose. “What are you thinking about?”

Hongbin feigned annoyance and wrinkled his nose.

 

“Do you remember the first time I ran into you here? Back before--”

 

Hakyeon threw back his head, interrupting him with a loud laugh.

“Haa-- you looked like a deer caught in the headlights. You could barely get a single sentence out of your mouth,” he said, leaning in again. “It was _cute_.”

 

Blushing, Hongbin skipped a step, feeling the prominent but still manageable effects of their night out. Hakyeon grabbed his waist as they walked further into the night.

 

“...Or were you talking about afterwards, when you could barely _stand_?”

 

Hongbin looked up again, eyes narrow.

 

“ _You’re_ the one who got me drunk, ‘Officer Cha.’”

 

Hakyon laughed again, softer this time, and nodded.

 

“Fair enough, fair enough,” he conceded. “I had no idea you were such a lightweight…”

 

“Yeah,” Hongbin answered vaguely. Although the night was still hazy in his mind, he cherished the memory-- the day he’d fallen for the slight, but strong man next to him. The day before he’d finally found the courage to _admit_ his affection for Hakyeon’s infectiously outgoing nature. He wished he hadn’t been so damn drunk. He wished he could remember the way he’d supported him the whole way home, listening to _god knows what_ he’d said. Even after they’d started dating, Hakyeon never brought up the details of what had happened as he guided him home, leaving Hongbin’s imagination running wild. As they made their way up and around towards Hongbin’s building, Hakyeon slowed-- as he always did. Normally, this is where Hongbin untangled himself from Hakyeon’s arms, where he watched the man walk away towards his bus stop.

 

This time, he tugged him forward. Hakyeon stopped, face turning to look up at his partner.

 

“ _Tell me_ what happened,” Hongbin said, pulling Hakyeon further along the sidewalk towards the high-rise’s front steps. After one last moment of hesitation, Hakyeon followed.

 

“You could barely stand,” he said again as they reached the building’s front door. Hakyeon reached forward to open it, herding Hongbin inside. Hongbin walked backwards until he was nearly against the elevator’s control panel. Hakyeon reached around him, pressing the call button.

 

“You seemed worried about what would happen after I solved your case, if you would see me again. I didn’t know you felt that way.”

 

Hongbin was lost in Hakyeon’s voice all over again. Behind him, the elevator’s doors opened, and Hakyeon’s hands were on his hips, leading him inside.

 

“You tripped here,” he continued, walking Hongbin back until he was pressed against the elevator’s cold, left wall. “I tried to catch you.”

 

“You pulled me along with you until--”

 

Hakyeon stopped, looking down at Hongbin’s lips. Finally, the dots connected. The elevator’s dim lights above him, Hakyeon's belt pressing into his hips. He remembered the way they’d fallen like this together, how--

 

“You tried to kiss me,” Hakyeon finished finally, nosing against Hongbin’s ear.

 

“Hakyeon-- I--”

 

As the elevator’s doors closed, his voice was interrupted by Hakyeon’s chapped lips against his. He let the man tilt his head backwards and reached up, pulling Hakyeon closer to him by his uniform’s tie. The elevator rumbled underneath the feet, rising ever upwards. All too soon he felt himself pushed further against Hakyeon’s frame as they ground to a halt.

“Come-- come with me this time,” Hongbin said quietly. Hakyeon’s eyes were wide-- on _fire_. He nodded.

 

Together they made their way towards Hongbin’s front door.

 

Once inside Hakyeon’s hands were underneath his shirt.

 

Hot against his skin.

 

Leading him backwards, once again, past the used Xbox still propped against his cheap couch, until finally--

 

Against the soft, crumpled sheets of his unmade bed.

 

 

.


End file.
